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' E. 0.. FITCH. Watch-Case.

No. 224,610. Patented Feb. 17, I880.

' H fiTTEEL' I INVEIWUFV MFETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON n O UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EZRA C. FITCH, OF NE\V YORK, N. Y.

WATC H-CAS E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 224,670, dated February 17, 1880, 7 Application filed December 26, 1879.

To all whom "it may concern Be it known that I, EZRA O. FITCH, of New York city,StateofNewYork,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Watch- Oases,of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to that class of watch-cases patented to me April 22, 1878, No. 214,642, in which the main portion of the case inclosing the movement is formed in one seamless and imperforate shell, open in front to receive the movement, which latteris held in an ontswinging ring hinged to the margin of the inclosing-case.

My former invention was specially adapted to open-face watches, while my present invention applies to hunting-case watches.

To this end my invention may be briefly stated to consist in the combination, with the inclosing seamless case with the movement insertible and removable from the front thereof, of an exterior lid or cap hinged to and closing down upon the margin of the said seamless case; also, in hinging the exterior lid and movement-ring on the margin of the inclosingcase at right angles to each other, and in attaching the bezel to the edge of the said ring, as hereinafter fully set forth.

Figure l of the drawings annexed presents a central section of my improved watch-case through the axis of the stem, with the exterior lid raised and the hinged movementrin g swung out of the case. Fig. 3 is a section at right angles to that in Fig. l, or through the hinge of the outswinging ring, which is shown swung within the case. Fi 2 is a plan view with the lid raised and the movement-ring swung into the case.

My improved case is more especially designed for stem-winding watches, but is not necessarily contined thereto.

a indicates the main or inclosing portion of thecase, which is formed in one continuous or seamless piece, without back-lid or cap, and without perforations in the rear. The neck or stem f projects from this portion of the case in the appropriate position, and it is provided with the stein-winding key bin the usual manner, as shown. This stem-winder is, as will be observed, specially suited for this kind of case, as without it the body of the case could not be readily made in one continuous shell without caps, joints, or perforations, as de' scribed.

The entire front of the body-case a is, however, 'open to receive the movement. and it is formed with a marginal edge or rim which projects inwardly a slight distance, as shown. On theinncrline of this edge is hinged an outswinging ring, 0, which contains the movement, similar to that shown in my former patent; but this ring is preferably hinged on the edge of the case at right angles to the stem. or thereabout, as illustrated.

The winding-l ey of the stem is capable of the usual play therein to engage or disengage the winding-stud of the movement in the usual manner when the ring with its contained movement is swung in or out, as will be readily n11- derstood.

Now, on the margin of the inclosing-case a, but on its outer line, is hinged an exterior lid, (1, similar to that of an ordinary huntingoase, being hinged, as shown, preferably at a point opposite the stem, but also at right angles to thehinge of the outswinging movementring 0, as shown, and this lid closes down over and around the ring and its contained movement and meets coincident with the marginal face or edge of the seamless main case a, as illustrated, thus forming a hunting-case watch of improved construction.

It will be observed that the advantage of hinging the exterior lid and the movementring at right angles to each other is that this arrangement is themost cominodious and compact, and the two parts have thus no interference with each other, while the movement, when swung out, is exposed and accessible on the dial side as well as on the under side, andis not obscured by the lid, which would not be the fact were the arrangement otherwise.

The remaining feature of my invention consists in attaching the bezel c, which holds the crystal over the dial, to the margin of the outswung ring 0, as shown in the drawings, and it may be held thereon by a screw-thread similar to what is shown in my former patent; or it may be sprung on in the usual manner, which I prefer in the present case. The bezel being thus attached to the movement-ring, the movement is thereby rendered more readily accessible, as 1t is not necessary to remove the bezel to reach the movement, but simply to swing out the-ring to which both movement and bezel are attached, as will be understood.

By this constriiction it will be observed that [produce a hunting-case watch with many points of advantage. Thus, while the movement and crystal are completely inclosed and protected both at back and front, yet but a comparatively small amount of metal is used in the entire case, which enables the watch to be furnished at a materially-reduced cost, and yet its construction answers all purposes, even more conveniently and perfectly than the usual and necessarily heavy cases.

In thus obviating back caps or lids, with their joints and perforations, not only is the metal greatly reduced and the construction simplified, but the moven'tent is much better protected from injury, dust, or moisture, while it is actually more conveniently accessible from the front of the improved hunting-case than is the fact with those cases giving access by a baclclid and cap.

It will be understood that the movement may be hinged directly to the case instead ot being secured in a hinged ring; butthe latter is in all cases preterz'tble.

It may also be seen that the bezel attached to the outswinging ring and the ring and lid hinged at right angles to each other are features which are not necessarily confined to a seamless body-caseot'theform shown, although they are specially adapted to each other.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. Ahuntingcase watch consistingot'a body case formed in one continuous shell, inclosing the movement at the sides and back, and jofntless and impert'orate thereat, but open in front, in combination with a movement or movement-holding ring insertible and removable from said open front, and an exterior lid or cap hinged on the marginal edge of said continuous shell and closing down over and coincident with the same, substantially as herein set forth.

2. An improved hunting-case watch consisting of an inclosing body-ease formed in one continuous shell, open only in front, in combination with an ou tswinging movement or movement-holding ring hinged in the opening of said continuous shell, together with an cxte rior lid hinged on the margin of said shell and closing down over said outswinging movement coincident with said shell, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. An improved hunting-watch case consisting of an inclosingbody formed in one continuous shell, open in front, jointless and impert'orate in its back and sides, and provided with a stem-winder, in combination with an appropriate outswinging movement or movement-holding ring hinged in the opening of said continuous shell, together with an exterior lid hinged upon the outer margin thereof and closing down upon the same, substantially as herein shown and described.

4. The combination, with an inclosing watchcase, open in front, and an outswinging or removable movementholding ring hinged or equivalently mounted therein of a crystalholding bezelfixable on the margin of said ring, substantially as herein shown and described.

5. A watch-case constructed with an out,- swinging movemcntor movement-holding ring hinged in the opening thereof, and an exterior lid hinged to the exterior margin thereof at right angles to the hinge of said movement or ring, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

EZ tA (J. FITCH.

Witnesses:

A. M. (JooMMELIN, P. K. HILLs, Jr. 

